Silo unloader



May 4, 1954 R. J. LONG x-:T AL 2,677,474

Sno UNLOADER Filed June 26, i952 8 Sheetsheet l i um IN V EN TOR.

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SILO UNLOADER Filed June 26, 1952 B' Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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May 4, 1954 R. J. LONG ET AL SILO UNLOADER 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 26, 1952 May 4, 1954 R. J. LONG ET AL 2,677,474

SILO UNLOADER Filed June 26, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. M f

@f/WM May 4, 1954 Filed June 26, 1952 R. J. LONG ET AL SILO UNLOADER 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 A JNVENTOR.

May 4, 1954 R. J. LONG ET AL SILO UNLOADER 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 26, 1952 JNVENTR.

sILo UNLOADER 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 26, 1952 INVENToR. j 9* Wed Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYILO UNLOADER Robert J. Long,Evanston, and Robert A. Van Nest, La Grange Park, Ill.

1952, Serial N0. 295,772

Application -June T26,

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to silo unloaders, and 'is particularly concerned `with an improved mechanical silo unloader of the type adapted to be supported by means 'of a winchr'and cables extending downwardly from the top of the silo to the level of ensilage therein.

One of the objects of the invention is Vthe provision of an improved mechanical type of silo unloader, by means of which 'blowers and blower conveyors Vmay 'be eliminated and vby means of which constant unloading and conveying of the ensilage to the discharge chute is assured.

Another object of the invention is the `provision of an improved silo unloader assembly which is adapted to be maintained in lcentered position in the silo, and which is dependable, capable of economical manufacture, 4and adapted to be used for 'a long period of time without necessity for repair or replacement of any of its parts. l

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved silo unloader which will operate equally well in the winter 'time' Awhen the ensilage may be frozen, and which will unload the hardest frozen ensilage, corn or grass.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved Vform of drive mechanism for driving the rotating screw conveyors 'which also travel about in a circle covering the 'full area of a silo, while still maintaining an upper part of the apparatus in iixed position, coininunicating with a radially extending conveyor for conveying ensilage from the central part of the mechanism to the gate.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved boom construction by means of which the whole mechanism` may be carried by three cables Vfrom a tripod at the top of the silo.

Other objects and advantages will 'be `apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

"Referring to the drawings, of which Vthere are eight sheets, accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View taken on a plane passing diametr-cally through a fsilo and its discharge chute, showing our silo unloader in operating position a't the top of the silo;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View, omitting' the driving dog and screw conveyors;

Fig. -3 is a sectional view taken on the plane ofthe line 3-3' of'Fig'. l)..loolring in 'the direction 2 of the arrows, showing the screw conveyors and driving dog;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side `elevational view showing the driving mechanism;

Fig. l5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the gear housing rof Fig. 4, showing va preferred form of driving mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional View taken onV the plane of the line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary, elevational view taken on the plane of the line 7 7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is aside elevational view of a preferred form'of supporting boom construction;

Fig. 9 is a top plan View of the boom construction of Fig. 8;

Fig. l0 is a `fragmentary side elevational View of the end construction of each of the booms of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of Fig. 10.

Referring to Fig. l, Ill indicates in its entirety lthesilo which hasa cylindrical wall I I, a radially projecting chute "I2, located opposite the removable boards I3, slidably mounted in a verticalopening I4, in one side of the silo.

The supply of ensilage is indicated at I5 and 'the silo unloader is indicated in its entirety -by the numeral I6. The silo unloader I6 preferably includes an upper cylindrical housing I1, which has attached to its suitable brackets I'8, for supporting a belt conveyor unit I9, Fig. l, Fig. 4.

The conveyor unit I`9 preferably includes a pair of side boards 20, 4secured to longitudinally extending frame members 2| which carry bearings 22, at each end for rotatably supporting the drums 23, 24, which carry the belt 25.

The belt maycomprise leather, rubber orother fabric, and preferably is provided with wooden slats 26 located at regular spaced intervals, such a's '8 inches apart, for carrying the ensilage to the chute I2 `between the side boards 2i). The drums 23, 24 comprise substantially cylindrical metal or wooden drums provided with a slight crown for centering the belt 25. The brackets I8 carrying bearings which rotatably 'support an extension of the shaft 2l for drum 23, and drum 24. is supported adjacent the cylindrical housing Il as closely as possible to the screw 2t, which is carried 'by a shaft vertically and centrally of the housing I'l for lifting the ensilage and discharging 'it upon the belt 25.

Housing Il has a hole 'adjacent to but spaced from the belt 25 and drum 2t, extending above the belt 25 for discharge of ensilage from the housing I1. A cable 2'8 extends upward Vfrom the frame of the conveyor I9 at its free end for supporting the conveyor at the desired level, the conveyor pivoting on the shaft 2l when required to do so.

The housing Il supports an annular member 3), Fig. 4, having three cylindrical metal socket members 3i attached thereto, each socket carrying a radially extending tubular frame member 32, 33, 34.

The tubular members 32-34 are employed to center the mechanism in the silo and each of the tubular members 32-34 is provided with a telescoping smaller tubular extension 35, which extends into the tubular members 32, 33 or 34, and is engaged by a compression spring 36, which in turn may be seated upon a seat 3l, mounted upon a cross bolt 38.

A plurality of holes are provided for` the cross bolt 38 so that the extensions 35 may be spring pressed outward when used in silos of different slzes.

Adjacent its end each extension 35 is provided with a through eye bolt, the eyebeing used for attachment to one of the cables 49, of which there are three, for supporting the radial tubular members S24-4. Each extension supports a U-shaped bearing bracket 4l, having a transverse stub shaft 42 for rotatably supporting a vertical roller 43.

rihus all of the extensions 35 have their rollers 43 urged into engagement with the inside of the wall of the silo in such manner that the rollers may roll up or down as controlled by the cables 4t.

The springs 35 being arranged to provide extensions 35 of equal length, and all exerting the same pressure, the mechanism will be centered in the silo and maintained in centered position by means of the springs 36 and tubular members 32-35 The housing Il supports a drive motor 44 at its upper end, and the drive motor has a shaft 45 extending downward through the housing for driving the screw 23 and radially extending chop'- pers 4B carried by the screw shaft 45 at the lower end of the housing.

The motor 44 is connected by suitable gearing contained in reduction gear box 4l to the drive shaft 2l of the conveyor I9, in such manner as to drive the upper side of the belt 25 radially outward.

At its lower end the housing il supports a rotatable housing extension 4S which is open at its bottom, where the shaft 45 carries the rotary choppers 45 which move the ensilage away from beneath the housing 4B.

The lower housing 48 is adapted to rotate on the upper housing l'i, and carries a gear box 49 at one side with suitable gears, such as a worm gear, engaging a screw upon a shaft 55.

The worm gear E is mounted upon a radial tubular shaft that extends outward to a point adjacent the silo wall, where the shaft has mounted upon it a substantially cylindrical, heavy cast metal driving dog or wheel 53. This driving dog or wheel 53 is rotated by the tubular shaft 52, and the drive wheel 53 has any suitable form of driving ribs 54 on its tread for engaging the ensilage and causing it to move slowly by rolling motion over the ensilage to rotate the housing 48.

A fixed shaft 55 extends through the tubular shaft 52 and is provided on its end with an upwardly extending bracket 56, carrying a vertical. stub shaft 5l, upon which a guide roller 53 is rotatably mounted. Guide roller 58 and shaft E5 provide a xed frame extending from housing 48 4 to the silo wall and further assure the centering of the housing 48 relative to the silo.

The housing 48 has an opening at one side exposing the screw 28, and it is provided with a box-like extension 59, Fig. 3, at each side, provided with bearings for the two screw shafts 5D, 6|.

Box 59 supports a pair of longitudinally extending frame members 62, which in turn support telescoping frame members S3, joined together at their outer ends to form a frame B4 with bearings for the other ends of shafts St, 5 I.

The frame 64 is open on its lower side but may be closed at 65 on its upper side and at its outer end it has a bracket for supporting one or more rollers 65, like the roller 58, for rolling around the inside of the silo wall.

The shafts 6D, 6l may carry screws 51, the rise of which may be greater at outer sections 38 on the shafts 6G, B I The screw flanges preferably carry outwardly extending knives bolted to the screw anges at regularly spaced intervals, there being a greater number of knives 5S on the outer screw sections 58, near the silo wall where more frozen ensilage is to be encountered.

Each shaft 60, El extends into the gear box 49, where it is provided with a beveled gear driven by suitable gearing from the shaft 5i) which drives the shaft 52. rEhe screws 5l and 68 rotate and chop the ensilage loose from the mass and cause it to progress longitudinally of the frame members 52, 63, the direction of the screw being such as to also lift the ensilage from the mass as it progresses radially inward until it is fed into the housing 48, where it is engaged and lifted by the screw 28 to the conveyor I9.

The housing Il is fixed, and at its lower end it supports a ring bearing member for the rotating housing 4t. Ring bearing member 'id has a laterally projecting arm ll, with a bearing for the shaft 50, which is provided with a V-pulley i2 on its upper end.

A two ring pulley T3 is rotatably mounted on housing Il, and one of the V-grooves 14 drives the belt l5, which extends to pulley l2. The other V-groove 'It is driven by the belt l from a V- pulley 'i8 carried by shaft 19.

Shaft 79 may have a pair of bearings 8U, carried by housing il, and at its upper end it carries a V-pulley 8|, with a belt B2, driven by the V- puliey 83 on the motor shaft 45. By means of the ring, V -pulleys 73, which are integrally joined together and which rotate on the shaft housing il, the screw shafts 6&3 and @I may be driven through suitable gears, and the driving dog wheel 54 may be driven to cause the lower housing 48 to rotate with the dog shaft 52 and the screw shaft frames 62, 63, 64, at the same time the screws 61 pick up the ensilage and drive it over into the housing 4S.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, these are views of a modied form of boom construction adapted to fit various sizes of silos and to permit the support of the entire mechanism from three cables 49. Instead of the tubular booms 34, this preferred construction includes a plurality of channeled booms 9i, which are identical in construction and three in number.

lThe channeled booms are attached to the housing Il by means of metal attaching brackets 92 of substantially U-shape but having the supporting nanges'93, 94 extending diagonally upward from a yoke 95.

Yoke is welded or otherwise secured to housing Il, and the flanges 93, 94 have through aperd tures for receiving the 'through rivet or bolt 96 which passes through the side flanges -of the U-shaped channeled booms 8|.

The channeled booms 3| have their webs 91 extending vertically and their side flanges 98, 9S extending horizontally. Each boom includes a larger channel |59 and a smaller channel |0|, slidaoly received in the larger channel.

For permitting adjustment of the length of the booms 9| the webs of the two channels |00 and have a pluralityof regularly spaced apertures |62 for receiving bolts by means of which they are bolted together to fit silos of different sizes.

For example, the large channel |00 may have two apertures on 6 inch centers, and the small channel lll may have a multiplicity of such apertures on 11/2 inch centers. At their outer ends the side flanges of the channels |0| are cut away, as indicated at |03, Fig. 11, leaving the web extended, as shown at |04.

`The web is preferably also beveled at and provided with a bore IMS for receiving a screw bolt |61 for rotatably receiving the roller |08. The roller w8 is thus pivoted on a horizontal axis for engagement with the wall 'of the silo as the framework moves up and down. Apertures it@ are also provided for attachment of the cables 49.

The bolts 95 for securing the booms 9| to housing Il' might permit pivotal movement, except that bracing framework is provided at H0, Fig. 9., and l i for holding the booms rigidly in radial -position.

Framework Htl may consist of three ilat bars H2 twisted intermediate their ends for greater rigidity, and provided with apertures at the ends for receiving the screw bolts H3 which pass through the boom flanges and bars ||2 at each corner of a triangular frame l0, tending to hold the booms rigid and readily.

In order to assure the rigidity, the second framework may consist of a pair of angle -iron members |l4, joined together by a single vbolt H5 at one of the booms and secured by being bolted at their other ends llt` to the other two booms. rihis provides a rigid, horizontal framework for preventing movement of the booms relative to the housing I1.

For making the booms rigid in a vertical direction, each boom is provided with a vertically extending strut H1, bolted to the boom web at M3, vadjacent the housing I1. Each strut ||1 lis connected by means oi a diagonally extending brace ||9 to the boom at |20, by means of a bolt, and the strut is connected to the brace H9 at The strut i1, brace |9 and part of each boom 9| thus form a vertically rigid ramework, permitting the support of the entire mechanism by means of the three cables 40, which extend upward from the ends of the booms to the pulleys 84.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, these are views showing the gear mechanism in the gear box 49, by means of which the screw conveyors are rotated, and the driving wheel 54 is rotated at ya slow speed, thus causing the screw conveyors to progress around the top of the ensilage.

This modiiication includes a gear housing 49a, made of a plurality of pieces of sheet metal welded together to form a box. The top wall v|22 of this housing supports an internal bearing supporting sleeve |23 for rotatably supporting the vertical rpower shaft 50.

APower shaft 50 carries a bevel gear |24 meshing with va bevel gear |25, mounted Yon the shaft 60 of the leading auger. VSide wall |26 yhas a sleeve |21 welded to it for supporting the bearing for shaft 60. v'Shaft Sii supports a driving gear |28 which meshes with an idler |29, which in turn xmeshes with a spur gear |39.

Spur gear |30 meshes with the gear |3|, which is carried by the trailing screw shaft 6|, thereby providing for the drive of both screw shafts. Screw shaftl is supported in a bearing carried by sleeve |32 welded to the side wall |26. Another sleeve |33 is welded to the side wall i2@ for supporting a stub shaft |24l which carries the gear |30.

Another sleeve |35 is welded to side wall |29 for supporting a bearing for a stub shaft |3 for the idler |29. The gear |30 is mounted upon a splined sleeve which also carried a pinion |31 driven by gear |30. Pinion |31 drives gear |38, which rotates freely upon a shaft |39 mounted in a bearing in sleeve |40.

Gear |38 is keyed by means of being mounted on a splined sleeve to a pinion |4| driven by it and meshing with a gear |42. Gear |42 rotates on shaft |34 and is keyed to a pinion |43 on the same shaft which meshes with a higher gear |44 on the driving wheel shaft 52.

Thus the driving wheel shaft 52 is driven at a reduced rate of speed while the screw shafts 60 and 6| are driven at a faster rate for chopping loose the ensilage and conveying it to the central housing I1.

vThe cables 40 pass over a plurality of pulleys 84, which are located at the ends of a tripod adjacent the silo wall, and all of the cables 40, -with the cable 29, are joined together and carried by one cable 86 which extends over a pulley 81 down the chute to the drum 88 of a hand operated winch 89, provided with suitable gears and a retaining dog and actuated by a crank 9i).

The operation of the present silo unloader is as follows:

By means of the winch BQ and cables 3E, 29 and 4S the mechanism may be adjusted to the proper height immediately above the ensilage, and may be vpermitted to feed downward if desired as the ensilage is chopped loose and conveyed 'to the chute I2 by the silo unloader.

More or less of the weight of the mechanism may be permitted to rest upon the ensilage 'by adjusting the winch 89, and this also adjusts the rate of feed.

The motor 44 is controlled by a switch adjacent the bottom of the chute, and when the motor is driven it drives the shaft i5 and screw 28, which lifts the ensilage from the housing 48 and deposits it upon the conveyor i9.

Conveyor I9 is driven through suitable gearing from the same motor and its belt carries the ensilage radially from the screw 28 to the chute I2.

The same motor through suitable gears drives the screw shafts 5t, El, and screws 91 and 58 which chop the ensilage loose, tending to elevate it between the screws and to cause it "to progress radially inward into the housing 4t.

As the ensilage is `lifted from beneath the screws $1, 6B, and conveyed to the housing te, the frame members 62, 63, 9i for screws @1, 68 are caused to rotate by the fact that the saine motor drives the tubular shaft 52, and dog wheel 54, which rotates housing 38, and causes the screws to progress around the surface of the ensilag'e in the silo. This constantly assures 'the location of the screws over new ensilage at the same level, which is picked up and delivered to the housing 48 by the screws.

The drive to the shaft 52 and screw shafts 60, 6l is through the ring V-pulleys 13 which rotate on the main housing l1 and permit shaft 'I9 to remain in the same Vertical position, while shaft 50 revolves about the housing l1 with the housing 48, gear box 4S and the screws 61, 68.

It will thus be observed that we have invented a new mechanical drive for silo unloaders, and a completely mechanical mechanism for conveying ensilage which is broken loose from the mass and conveyed to the chute without utilizing any blowers, which we have found to be undependable for this purpose.

The ensilage varies according to its weight and frozen condition, but no matter what its condition is, it will be broken up and conveyed by the present mechanical arrangements.

While we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. 'in a silo unloader of the type having a central housing, an upward conveyor in said housing, a radial conveyor for carrying ensilage from said upward conveyor to a silage chute at 'the edge of the silo, and conveyor means for conveying ensilage from the free surface of the ensilage to said upward conveyor at the bottom of said central housing, the improvement which cornprises an electric motor mounted upon the upper end of said housing, and having a vertical motor shaft, bearings carried by said housing and located in alignment with each other on an axis parallel to said motor shaft, a second shaft in said bearings, driving connections between said shafts, a lower housing rotatably mounted on said central housing, a rotatable drive boom extending radially from said lower housing, and having a drive wheel resting on the ensilage, a pair of adjacent, oppositely rotating screw conveyors carrie-:i by said lower housing and housed on their outer sides by lateral frame members, said screw conveyors engaging the ensilage at their lower edges, and operative mechanical driving connections between said second shaft and said rotatable drive boom and said screw conveyors to cause said drive wheel to rotate said lower housing and to cause said screw conveyors to rotate and to sweep over the surface of the ensilage beneath them, and to convey ensilage to said central housing.

2. In a silo unloadcr of the type having a central housing, an upward conveyor in said housing, a radial conveyor for carrying ensilage from said upward conveyor to a silage chute at the edge of the silo, and conveyor means for conveying ensilage from the free surface of the ensilage to said upward conveyor at the bottom of said central housing, the improvement which comprises an electric motor mounted upon the upper end of said housing, and having a vertical motor shaft, bearings carried by said housing and located in alignment with each other on an axis parallel to said motor shaft, a second shaft in said bearings, driving connections between said shafts, a lower housing rotatably mounted on said central housing, a rotatable drive boom extending radially from said lower housing, and having a drive wheel resting on the ensilage, a pair of adjacent, oppositely rotating screw conveyors carried by said lower housing and housed on their outer sides by lateral frame members, said screw conveyors engaging the ensilage at their lower edges, and operative mechanical driving connections between said second shaft and said rotatable drive boom and said screw conveyors to cause said drive wheel to rotate said lower housing and to cause said screw conveyors to rotate and to sweep over the surface of the ensilage beneath them, and to convey ensilage to said central housing, said screw conveyors each having a shaft and a pair of sections of screw fiange of different pitch, the outermost section of each screw flange having a multiplicity of turns of less pitch closer together, to work the ensilage loose more thoroughly at the outer part of the silo.

3. In a silo unloader of the type having a central housing, an upward conveyor in said housing, a radial conveyor for carrying ensilage from said upward conveyor to a silage chute at the edge of the silo, and conveyor means for conveying ensilage from the free surface of the ensilage to said upward conveyor at the bottoni of said central housing, the improvement which comprises an electric motor mounted upon the upper end of said housing, and having a vertical motor shaft, bearings carried by said housing and located in alignment with each other on an axis parallel to said motor shaft, a second shaft in said bearings, driving connections between said shafts, a lower housing rotatably mounted on said central housing, a rotatable drive boom eX- tending radially from said lower housing, and having a drive wheel resting on the ensilage, a pair of adjacent, oppositely rotating screw conveyors carried by said lower housing and housed on their outer sides by lateral frame members, said screw conveyors engaging the ensilage at their lower edges, and operative mechanical driving connections between said second shaft and said rotatable drive boom and said screw conveyors to cause said drive wheel to rotate said lower housing and to cause said screw conveyors to rotate and to sweep over the surface of the ensilage beneath them, and to convey ensilage to said central housing, said screw conveyors each having a shaft and a pair of sections of screw flange of different pitch, the outermost section of each screw flange having a multiplicity of turns of less pitch closer together, to work the ensilage loose more thoroughly the outer part of the silo, and the screw flanges being provided with a multiplicity of knives projecting outwardly to cut frozen ensilage loose from the mass of ensilage in the silo.

4. In a silo unloader of the type having a central housing, an upward conveyor in said housing, a radial conveyor for carrying ensilagc from said upward conveyor to a silage chute at the edge of the silo, and conveyor means for conveying ensilage from the free surface of the ensilage to upward conveyor at the bottom cf said central housing, the improvement which comprises an electric motor mounted upon the upper end of said housing, and having a vertical motor shaft, bearings carried by said housing and located in alignment with each other on an axis parallel to said motor shaft, a second shaft in said bearings, driving connections between said shafts, a lower housing rotatably mounted on said central housing, a rotatable drive boom extending radially from said lower housing, and having a drive Wheel resting on the ensilage, a pair of adjacent, oppositely rotating screw conveyors carried by said lower housing and housed on their outer sides by lateral frame members, said screw conveyors engaging the ensilage at their lower edges, and operative mechanical driving connections between said second shaft and said rotatable drive boom and said screw conveyors to cause said drive wheel to rotate said lower housing and to cause said screw conveyors to rotate and to sweep over the surface of the ensilage beneath them, and to convey ensilage to said central housing, said driving connections including a pair of connected ring driving members rotatably mounted on said lower housing,-A

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,550,311 Foster Aug, 18, 1925 2,500,043 Radtke Mar. 7, 1950 2,615,594 Clapp Oct. 28, 1952 

